THE Perak government has ordered a halt to all logging in the vicinity of Orang Asli settlements near the Air Chepam Forest Reserve in Hulu Perak, which has been a subject of a dispute over customary land rights.

Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu made the decision after meeting with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Waytha Moorthy and Attorney-General Tommy Thomas yesterday.

“Moving forward, the federal and state governments will work together to resolve any issues regarding the Orang Asli community,” Faizal and Waytha said in a joint statement today.

“The federal and state governments take the rights of the Orang Asli community very seriously.

“The menteri besar has with immediate effect ordered a temporary halt to all logging within the land in question, pending discussions between the state and the Orang Asli community.”

Things came to a head last week when three Temiar Orang Asli villagers from Kg Sungai Papan who had erected the blockade in July were arrested by police.

Police arrested the three villagers, aged between 20 and 40, and remanded them for two days for suspected wrongful restraint under the Penal Code for alleged obstruction of vehicles.

However, they were all released by the Gerik magistrate’s court on July 25.

The Temiar have allied with other Orang Asli villages in the vicinity to stop loggers from felling trees on what they claim is their customary land.

Their allies in the battle with loggers are the Orang Asli in Kg Cunex, Kg Ong Jelmol, Kg Sg Leyef and Kg Pos Piah.

They have vowed to continue putting up blockades until the state government addresses their demand to stop logging in their customary land. – August 1, 2019.